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God Forbid’s fourth full-length album IV: Constitution of Treason was released on September 20, 2005 by Century Media and peaked at #118 on the Billboard 200 music chart. Three music videos were made to support the album and many fans still point to this album as being their favorite within the GF discography. In 2008, a DVD titled Beneath the Scars of Glory and Progression was released that featured a live concert filmed in their home state of New Jersey full of songs from the Constitution album cycle as well as a documentary chronicling the history of the band to that point. The vinyl release for this album was a German/European limited edition picture disc released by Bastardized Recordings.

Personally, I love this album. It isn’t my favorite album the band released (Earthsblood holds that slot) but it is definitely up there with the best they have to offer. Filled to the brim with “classic” metalcore sounds and riffs, this album holds it’s own with any of the more established releases from that time period. It’s a concept album that doesn’t sound like a concept album and the story is about a future society that destroys itself, builds back up again, and then destroys itself again because it couldn’t learn from it’s own history. Written during the Bush political era, perhaps this album could be more relevant now than when it was released.

Attila is another one of those 80s heavy metal bands that I truly know nothing about. Rolling Thunder was released in 1986 on Shattered Records as an import from the Netherlands. It’s not a bad album but it was definitely no chart-topper here in the States. The album definitely has thrashy bits to it but it’s probably more comparable to Purgatory (Cleveland) or even pre-Anselmo Pantera. Basically a very heavy Glam Metal band. A bit spooky and theatrical but definitely not heavy enough to scare your cooler older brother or even your parents.

The thing that initially jumped out at me was obviously the cover of this album. I mean, look at this thing. It’s an abomination. It looks like it was done in colored pencils. Maybe it was. That’s not really the point. In the era of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and the emerging Thrash movement you just have to have better artwork. This is 1986. The same year that Master of Puppets, Reign In Blood and Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying were released. If I saw this in the store next to one of those albums I know what I’d be slogging up to the counter with. That’s not to say this isn’t a good album musically, it just leaves a lot to be desired from a visual standpoint.

Nothing long today. Just some photos of vinyl that I’ve taken and posted to Instagram over the years. I believe most of these are from December of 2015 until today. Loads of other vinyl photos I’ve taken are stored somewhere else right now so these were the ones I chose. As you can see there are lots of Metal releases. I love me some Heavy Metal… and Bone Thugs. Can’t forget the Bone Thugs.

If you want to keep up with my comings and goings with vinyl, motorcycle journeys, graphic design, photography and general life shit; follow me on Instagram @eblanken.

Bang your head against the stage – Like you never did before – Make it ring, make it bleed – Make it really sore – In a frenzied madness – With your leathers and your spikes – Heads are bobbing all around – It’s hot as hell tonight

Adrenaline starts to flow – You’re thrashing all around – Acting like a maniac – Whiplash

I snagged this record in that big box-o-metal that I bought a while back. I was flipping through the jackets and immediately noticed this and decided that I had to have it. And true to old-Metallica form, I am glad I got it because this little EP is a total monster!

Now, I didn’t happen to get the first pressing but that’s ok. It’s the 1985 reissue and it plays perfectly. Nancy and I have seen this record multiple times at Reckless Records in Chicago but the price was always really high. Like, $50+ kind of high. No thanks to that. Instead, I waited patiently and was eventually rewarded with it here. It’s only 4 tracks but it packs a hell of a wallop and it’s worth every penny spent toward it.

Last week I completely missed the posting on account of a craziness with life happenings. I was gone every day until it was time to come home and sleep. Not a fun week at all. I’m back to a somewhat normal schedule now so posting can resume.

This is a bit of a weird choice. There’s not any design aspects I really want to get deep into with this release so I’ll just tell you why I bought it. Naners and I were at The Exchange in Elyria and I was just kind of browsing the vinyl selection looking for any true gems. Now, I had NO money to spend because I still wasn’t gainfully employed at the time but that never stops me. Anyway, Nancy ended up finding and buying an excellent copy of Pantera’s Power Metal album and I was just finishing up looking through the 7″ and 10″ records when I found this. She found the gem on our trip and I suppose I got a polished rock.

I don’t have a nicely written and photographed post for this week. I’m still making my way through a small collection that I purchased last weekend. Lot’s of mid-80s metal albums all in really good condition. Score!!!

I’ll be back next week with a proper post. Until then, peep that Metallica “Whiplash” EP.

Machine Head’s “The Blackening” took me by surprise in a big way a little over six years ago. Even though it was released in 2007 I don’t think I really gave it a chance until sometime in 2008 and since then I’ve given it an abundance of plays and more praise than I can even remember. Machine Head was always a band that I was conscious of but never really “got.” Their music just didn’t fit into my life until this album. For me, this album combined it all: lyrics, music, artwork and timing. Those elements combined to make one of the best Thrash Metal albums of all time and one of the best metal albums of the new millennium.